Method of reclaiming yarn from multiyarn knitted fabric



Nov.1 7, 1936. GAS-[RICH 2,061,233

MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING YARN FROM MULTIYARN KNITTED FABRIC Filed March 26, 1954 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 as as 961 .69

I J E 3 J2 INVENTOR. GasfiwGws-frich,

NOV. 17, 1936. GASTRICH 2,061,233

MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING YARN FROMMULTIYARN KNITTED FABRIC Filed March 26, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

ATTOR 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 G. GASTRICH Filed March 26, 1954 INVEN TOR:

'ushwfi'asfridzg. BY 5 ATTORN MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING YARN FROM MULTIYARN KNITTED FABRIC Nov. 17, 1936.

Nov. 17, 1936. GA$TR|H 2,061,233

- MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING YARN FROM MULTIYARN KNITTED FABRIC Filed March 26, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 .xlillml HIM BY ATTORN G. GASTRICH Nov. 17, 1936.

MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING YARN FROM MULTIYARN KNITTED FABRIC Filed March 26, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR: fizzlsiiwfiasiriafi BY 6 W ATTORN G. GASTRICH 2,061,233 MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING YARN FROM MULTIYARN KNITTED FABRIC Nov. 17, 1936.

Filed March 26, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 FLE- llll INVENTOR:

Nov. 17, 1936. R 2,061,233

MACHINE FOR RECLAIMING YARN FROM MULTIYARN KNITTED FABRIC Filed March 26, 1934 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 HEH-W Patented Nov. 17, 1936 METHOD OF RECLAIMIING YARN FROM MULTIYARN KNITTED FABRIC Application March 26,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to a method of reclaiming yarns from knitted fabric, and particularly to reclaiming the yarns from multi-yarn knitted fabrics.

In the production of hosiery, particularly silk stockings, certain variations in evenness of natural silk yarn frequently cause coursewise rings or bands to appear in the stocking, which differ in shading and appearance from the body of the stocking, these effects being especially noticeable, with the stocking on the leg of the wearer.

To preclude this undesirable eifect, stockings are knit from a plurality of separate yarns, three being a desirable number, alternately employed in succeeding courses throughout the stocking length, so that variation in evenness in a length of one yarn is compensated for, and its effect minimized by the adjacent yarn or yarns, to cause the overall effect to be free from rings or bands. Since the yarns are interengaged and held at the selvedge edges by the yarn of a preceding course, unraveling the yarns to reclaim them, as from imperfect stocking blanks, is extremely diflicult.

It is a purpose of my invention to provide a method particularly adapted to profitably reclaim the yarn of such fabrics on an extensive scale, or, in other words to enable the simultaneous reclamation of the yarns of many small areas of such fabrics as in stocking blanks, which heretofore it has been considered less expensive to scrap; the method further being adapted to reclaim the yarns from various types of multi-yarn fabrics, for example, split seam fabrics, in which different areas thereof are respectively composed of different yarns, and plated or reinforced fabrics having heel tabs which heretofore have been severed and scrapped prior to attempting to reclaim the adjacent non-reinforced fabric.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel method, of the mentioned character, for reclaiming yarns from fabrics, wherein various courses, as respectively knit from separate yarns recurrent in, or throughout, the fabric, are successively unraveled, as they are met, in order inverse to the order in which they were laid in the successive courses during knitting, and preferably, but not necessarily, the respective yarns are taken off in separate planes extending from the raveling end, and coursewise, of the fabric.

Another object is to form the respective yarns, reclaimed from a fabric knit from separate yarns into individual packages, to move said packages in unraveling and taking up the yarn, to control 55 the moving force, as by the respective yarns, for

1934, Serial No. 717,443

preventing movement of a package or packages, other than a package or packages to which yarn is paying out at the time, and at which time the yarn of the inactive package or packages may be held, as at a selvedge edge, or at a line of meeting of different yarn areas, by another yarn or yarns, for temporarily preventing actuation of a package, the yarn of which is held, and simultaneously driving the package individual to the next yarn to be unraveled; suflicient tension being maintained on each yarn during unraveling to insure proper paying out and rewinding, and suitable tension being maintained on each yarn, when held by another yarn, to insure positive release of the yarn for unraveling, when the next course of such yarn is met, without causing excessive yarn stretch or rupture.

Another object is to reclaim the various yarns from a multi-yarn fiat knitted stocking blank, wherein the various courses are knit from a plurality of separate single or multiple-strand yarns alternating in, or throughout, the blank, by taking up and rewinding the yarns in the order in which they are met at the raveling end of the blank.

A further object is to simultaneously unravel, without interference, a relatively great number of closely grouped stocking blank or other fabric elements, each having various courses of separate recurrent yarns, whereby to conserve space and labor, and render the operating expense of the method substantially less than the value of the reclaimed yarn.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent from the following detailed description of the illustrative embodiments of the invention shown in the accompanying drawings, my invention resides in the novel method as hereinai'ter more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Being preferably practiced by the aid of a machine, the method will be clearly understood from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings of a machine suited to the method and of certain fabrics with respect to which the method is employed, in which:

Figure 1 is a view, in front elevation, of a yarnreclaiming machine for practicing the method of the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1, with parts omitted,

Fig. 3 is a detail view, taken along the line 33 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a View taken substantially along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2,

Fig. '5 is a view, similar to Fig. 4, of a modified form of the structure thereof,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic perspective of knitting machine carriers, and, on a greatly enlarged scale, of a fabric of the type to which the invention relates, as it comes from the machine,

Fig. 7 is a diagram of the movements of the carriers of Fig. 6,

Fig. ,8 is a diagram, like that of Fig. 7, of a modified carrier movement,

Figs. 9 to 14, inclusive, are diagrams of successive steps of unraveling the fabric of Fig. 6,

Fig. is a diagram illustrating the method as applied to unraveling the yarns of a fabric having a split-seam insert, and

Fig. 16 is a diagram illustrating the method as applied to unraveling the yarns of reinforced an plated fabrics. I

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, and 4, which illustrate the end sections of the machine, there are shown end frames I0 and II rigidly secured together by transverse spacing bars l2, l2, l3, l3, l4, l4, and I5, I5. Preferably, and as indicated, the machine comprises a large number of similar groups of sections A to F of fabric take-up devices, for example, twenty-four t0 thirty-six sections, the sections intermediate the end sections being omitted in the drawings, but present in the broken away portions of the machine, these sections being supported by center frames, not shown. Each section or group A to F has three take-up devices la, la, Sap-If, 2], 3f individual thereto, these devices preferably comprising rotatable take-up reels or bobbins, for unraveling and rewinding the yarns of the stocking blanks F, F F etc. Each of the groups or sections A to F is adapted to reclaim the yarn from a piece of fabric or stocking blank F, F F etc., to be unraveled, and each of the take-up devices la, 2a, 3a, etc., is individual to one of the separate yarns, I, 2, 3 of which the stocking blanks are each composed. In order to operatively associate the take-up devices as closely as possible with the stocking blanks, the take-up devices of each group are shown arranged in tandem and respectively positioned beneath the blanks to be unraveled. This arrangement not only conserves floor space, but results in more eflicient operation of the machine since one operator can take care of a large number of stocking blanks because of the compact arrangement of the take-01f devices which materially reduces the distance the operator has to Walk when replacing the various pieces of fabric and take-up reels on the machine during the reclaiming operation.

Driving means are provided for rotating the take-up reels in a direction to unravel and rewind the yarns, and preferably comprise an electric motor l6 mounted on a bracket l1 secured to the end frame Hi, the motor being connected by suitable means, such as a belt 18 connected with stepped pulleys l9 and 20, to a shaft 22 and gears 23, 24, for driving two transversely extending shafts 25, 25 rotatably mounted in bearings 26 in the framework of the machine. Pinions 28 carried by the transversely extending shafts 25 intermesh with pinions 29 and 3 and gears 3!! and 32, for driving other transversely extending shafts 33, 34 which are also rotatably mounted in bearings in the machine framework. The shafts 25, 33, and 34 have secured thereto and rotatable therewith drive members, such as friction drive wheels 35, having their peripheral surfaces adjacent to driven wheels .35 secured to spindles 37 rotatably carried by brackets 38, 39, re secured to the machine framework. On these spindles 31 are mounted the take-up reels la, 2a. 3a, etc., which are intermittently rotated to rewind the separate yarns in a manner hereinafter described.

In order to cause the yarns to be wound in uniform layers on the take-up reels, the transversely extending shafts 25 carry pinions M which intermesh with pinions 42 rotatably mounted in end frame H, the pinions 42 having teeth 43 which intermesh with driving gears 44 secured to stub shafts 45 rotatably mounted on end frame ll. Secured to each shaft 45 is a circular cam 45 having a laterally varying cam track 4611 against which bears a cam follower 41, Fig. 3, the cam follower being carried by the upper end of a rockable lever 48 which is pivotally mounted at 49 to a bracket 50 secured to the end frame. The

two levers 48, 48 are operatively connected by a transversely extending bar 52, at the center of which is connected a spring 53 anchored at one end to the frame II, the spring biasing the cam followers 41 against the camming surfaces 46a of the circular cams, whereby rotation of said cams effects rocking motion of the levers 48 in unison.

Rotatably mounted in the outer ends of certain of the brackets 38 to 40, which at suitable intervals extend beneath the bar to support the same, are rollers 54 upon which a longitudinally extending roller bar 55 may be reciprocated. Two of these bars 55 are provided, one at each side of them-achine, and each bar is connected at one end to one of the rocking levers 48, the bars 55 being reciprocable on rollers 54 and laterally guided by and between opposed faces 56a of a groove 56 (Fig. 4) in those brackets in which the rollers 54 are mounted. Each of the bars 55 is provided with thread guides 51 in groups of three, each group being adapted to traverse the face of an associated group A, B, C, etc., of the take-up reels or spools Ia, 2a, 3a between the ends thereof to lay the thread in superposed convolute layers on the spools during their rotation, at which time the bars 55 are reciprocated longitudinally by the action of the cams 46.

The fabrics F, F F etc., to be unraveled may be supported in any suitable manner; in the specific form shown, a plurality of transversely extending cross bars or rods 59, 60 in spaced relation relative to each other are positioned above the various take-up reels by vertically extending curved uprights 6|, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, which may be supported in any suitable manner from the framework of the machine, as by clamping the lower ends thereof to the transversely extending rods l4, [5, Fig. 4. Connected to each of the rods 59, 60 by means of clamps 58 is a series of hook bars 62, 63, 64, etc., each hook bar being provided with hooks to which the pieces of fabric may be attached, each piece of fabric being held in such manner that the lower end thereof is free, thereby to facilitate unraveling of the fabric. The raveling of the fabric progresses coursewise of the fabric, the various yarns l, 2, 3 of which the succeeding courses of the fabric are composed being guided from the lower end of the fabric downwardly through thread guides 66 respectively associated with and carried by the free ends 'of groups of tension arms 61, 68, 69, the opposite ends of the arms being pivotally mounted at 10 to brackets H clamped to the rods l4 and I5 of the machine framework.

Adjacent the outer ends of the tension arms 61 to 69, and mounted in place by indentations formed in the arms, are depending members 12 adapted to hold one or more readily removable weights W, by means of which the tension normally present on the yarns l, 2, 3 may accurately be adjusted. After passing through the thread guides 66, the yarns I, 2, 3 pass through their associated thread guides 51 of the traversing bar 55,'and thence to the take-up reels ia, 2a, and 3a respectively. In order to permit lateral movement of the various yarns with respect to the yarn guides 66, and thereby prevent added tension being placed on the yarns by reason of the motion of the traversing bar 55, each yarn guide 66 is of the elongated open type, more clearly shown in Fig. 1.

The machine will first be described with reference to reclaiming the yarns from fabrics, such as ringless stocking blanks, or striped stocking blanks, in which the successive courses of the fabric are knit from separate yarns alternating in determined order throughout the fabric, or throughout certain areas thereof.

In the illustrative embodiment shown, the take-up reels Ia, 2a, 3a, etc., each comprise a bobbin or spool on which the reclaimed yarn is wound, the spool having a flange M at each end thereof, the thread being wound on the bobbin or spool intermediate the ends thereof. In the form shown, each bobbin is provided with a spindle 3'! projecting from the ends of the bobbin, the ends of the spindles comprising means for rotatably supporting the bobbin in the bracket members 38 to 40, each spindle having a driven member in the form of a friction wheel 35 secured thereto, the friction wheel being biased, by means of a pivoted arm 13 bearing on the driving end of the spindle 37 and coacting with a spring 16, towards a. position of engagement with a constantly rotating drive member, such as the friction wheels 35 secured to the shafts 25, 33, and 34. One end of each spindle 31 is removably mounted in any desired form of bearing, for example, a slot 11 in one of the bracket members 39, 40, Fig. 2, and the other end of each spindle, more clearly shown in Fig. 4, is mounted in a V- shaped bearing 78 in frame members 38, 39, one side of each bearing 18 comprising a vertically inclined plane surface 18a extending to the bottom of the bearing, the action of the tension arms 61 to 69 causing all but one of the take-up reels of each group to ride upon the inclined surfaces 18a, in a manner hereinafter described, so that the friction wheels 38 of these spools are out of driving engagement with respect to the drive wheels 35. In Fig. 4 the take-up reel 3a is shown in a position of driving engagement with its driving member 35, at which time the yarn 3 individual to the take-up reel 3a is being unraveled from the fabric, the remaining two yarns la and 2a being each held at a selvedge edge h of the fabric blank F, the tension on the yarns l and 2, and the action of the tension arms 67 and 68 respectively associated therewith, causing the driving ends of the spindles 37 of take-up reels 2a and. So each to roll up the inclined plane 18a of its bearing to the position shown inFig. 4, thus interrupting the driving connection between these reels and'their associated driving members 35. It will be understood that the bearings 17 in which the other ends of the spindles 31 are mounted may be of any desired configuration as long as they have sufficient clearance to enable the driving ends of the spindles to be shifted from their driving positions to the inclined planes 18a to prevent, at the proper times, rotation of the take-up reels.

Each biasing spring 16 is connected to the free end of the arm 13 which is pivoted at its other end to the bracket member 38. The arm 13 bears on the spindle 31 and, in conjunction with the spring, urges the spindle downwardly along the inclined plane to a position where the wheel 36 carried by the spindle is in frictional driving engagement with the friction wheel 35. Stop pins in the bracket member 38 are provided to limit the downward travel of arm 13 when the bobbins are removed from their bearings. The arm 13 may be lifted upwardly, against the tension of spring 16, to release the spindle 31 and the bobbin or reel carried thereby so that they may be lifted out of the spindle bearings to facilitate removal of the bobbin, when full of yarn, from the spindle and to permit an empty bobbin to be quickly and easily placed thereon. The amount of force exerted by the spring 16 should be adjustable and preferably there is provided an adjusting screw 80 rotatably mounted at Blw in a lug or extension 8| of frame member 38, the adjusting screw having a knurled head 82 for easy adjustment thereof, and carrying a travelling nut 83 to which the lower end of spring '56 is anchored, one side 83a of the nut slidably engaging a plane surface Bib of lug 8| thereby to prevent rotation of the nut when the screw is turned. The pitch of the threads of the screw may be made as small as desired and thus afford a fine adjustment of the biasing tension applied to the spindle 31. For eificient operation, the amount of force exerted by the biasing spring will be found to have a fairly critical value; if too much tension is exerted the yarn being reclaimed will be unduly stretched, or possibly broken, before interruption of the driving connection between its take-up reel and the driving means; on the other hand, if insumcient tension is afforded by the spring, the driving connection between the reel and driving means will not be reestablished as quickly as it should be, also, the desired positive driving connection between the reel and its driving means may not be established. The spindle 31, which preferably is made of hard wood, may have springs (not shown) which are compressed when the core of the bobbin or take-up reel is slid on the spindle, to thus firmly hold the bobbin on the spindle for rotation therewith, the springs permitting quick and easy removal of the bobbin from the spindle when the bobbin is full, and replacement of an empty bobbin thereon.

Each of the tension arms 61 to 69 is provided with a shoe or brake member 81 disposed adjacent the peripheries of the flanges 14 at one end of each of the bobbins la, 2a, 311., etc., these members acting to raise the bobbins out of driving engagement with the friction wheels 35, and also producing a braking action on the bobbins to prevent overrunning of the bobbins. The members 81 also facilitate the reverse motion given to the bobbins (in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4) by the slight reverse movements of those lengths of the yarns between the guides 66 and the bobbins, which occur when the yarns are held and prevented from paying out, and which cause the driving ends of the spindles 3'! to roll or slide up on the inclined planes 18a to the position shown by the spindles of reels 2a and 3a in Fig. 4.

In order to prevent the thread guides 66 from dropping under the influence of the weights W and tension arms 61, 68, 69, in the event that any f the yarns I, 2, 3 should break, the tension arms are each formed from a piece of heavy gauge wire bent around a pivot pin Ill secured by a boss Hat on the bracket II. The bracket is provided with a plate member 88 extending substantially parallel to the body portion of the tension arms and adjacent their pivot points, the member 88 serving as a stop to limit the downward travel of the tension arms and suspending the latter in a substantially horizontal plane.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate one method of producing a flat knit stocking blank from three separate silk yarns I, 2, 3 which are alternated in predetermined order in successive courses of the fabric, for example, to eliminate coursewise extending rings or stripes in the stocking due to variation in evenness in the silk yarn employed. The three yarns are shown plain, hatched, and stippled, respectively, so that they may easily be identified in the various courses of the fabric; it will be understood that they may have the same color, weight and other characteristics, as in the case of ringless hosiery, or may comprise yarns of different color, weight or other characteristics, as in the case of striped or other ornamented stockings. Also, in the .production of ringless stockings, the yarns, prior to knitting, may be tinted different colors with water color or other dyes which wash out or are not observable after the stocking is dyed, so that the various yarns may be identified in the fabric whereby the yarns more readily may be connected to the take-off reels in a manner that will prevent or minimize interference between the yarns during the reclaiming operation. The respective courses of the fabric of Fig. 6 are shown in the order in which they are knit on the machine; course I being the last course produced, the remaining courses II to- VI having been knit in inverse order to that in which the courses are numbered. In producing the fabric of Fig. 6, three main yarn carriers respectively feed separate yarns I, 2, 3 in succeeding courses of the fabric in such manner that no adjoining courses of the fabric are composed of the same yarn, the order in which the yarns appear being repeated in each three courses of the fabric. For clarity, the same reference numerals I, 2, 3 that identify the various yarns of which the fabric is composed are applied to the yarn carriers respectively feeding the yarns.

Fig. '7 diagrammatically illustrates the movements of the respective yarn carriers I, 2, and 3 in producing the fabric of Fig. 6. One of the yarn carriers, for example, No. 1, lays the yarn from left to right across the knitting section to reduce one course of the fabric; in the next course No. 1 carrier is held at the right hand side of the fabric, while No. 2 carrier travels from right to left to lay the yarn for that course. In the next succeeding course, No. 3 carrier travels from left to right to lay the yarn for that course, Nos. 1 and 2 carriers waiting at the right and left hand sides, respectively, of the fabric. In the next three courses the carriers are again successively operated in the foregoing order, al though the direction of travel of the carriers is reversed, No. 1 carrier travelling from right to left, No. 2 carrier travelling from left to right, and No. 3 carrier travelling from right to left. This cycle of operation of the yarn carriers is repeated throughout the succeeding courses, thus causing the three yarns to alternate in predetermined order in successive courses of the fabric. It is to be noted that the yarn of each course interlocks with and is held at the selvedge edges of the fabric by the other two yarns of adjoining courses.

As will be seen from Fig. 6, the yarn carriers are disposed one behind the other to prevent interference between them during the yarn feeding operation, and the carriers thus not only lay the yarn in predetermined order in the succeeding courses of the fabric, but, as indicated by the dot-and-dash lines, the respective yarns are fed from the carriers in different planes established by their paths of travel in laying the yarns.

Fig. 8 diagrammatically illustrates the movements of the yarn carriers in producing another form of fabric in which three yarns are alternated in predetermined order throughout the fabric. One of the yarn carriers, for example,

No. 1, lays the yarn from left to right in one course, and in the next succeeding course No. 1 carrier returns, travelling from right to left,

thereby to lay two adjoining courses from yarn Referring to the operation of the machine of Figs. 1 to 5, when the yarn of the fabric course at the time being unraveled reaches a place in the fabric, for example, and by way of illustration only, at a selvedge edge in ringless stocking blanks where the yarn is held by the yarn of another course, the tension armfGI, 68 or 69 associated therewith, Fig. 4, is swung upwardly about its pivot point "III since, as the yarn is wound on its take-up reel or spool Ia, 2a. or 3a by rotation thereof, the yarn continues to rise, causing the brake shoe 8! of the tension arm to engage the periphery of the flange I4 adjacent thereto, and raise the driving end of the spindle out of its bearing, against the tension of the biasing spring 16. This interrupts the driving connection between the driving wheel 35 and friction driven wheel 35, the slightretraction of the yarn at this time, and the action of the weight W, causing the spool to rotate in the opposite direction, or clockwise as viewed in Fig. 4, and the driving end of the spindle is'moved up the inclined plane 180. to the position shown by spools Ia and 2a in the figures, these spools being maintained in this position as long as their associated yarns I and 2 are held at the selvedge edges of the fabric. The tension maintained on the yarns at the time being held prevents the yarns from becoming loose on their spools, and also provides sufficient pull on the yarns to cause at the proper times their release at the selvedge edges where they are held. While yarns I and 2 are being held, yarn 3 is being unraveled and is free to pay out, and the friction wheel 36 of take-up reel 3a is in driving engagement with its driving wheel 35, the reel being rotated thereby in the direction shown by the arrow to take up and rewind the yarn 3.

When yarn 3 has been unraveled until it reaches a selvedge edge of the fabric where it is held by another yarn or yarns, one of the yarns, for example, yarn 2, will be released so that it is again free to pay out, and at this time the action of its biasing spring "I6 on the spindle of its take up reel insures positive return of its friction drive wheel 36 into driving engagement with the wheel 35, and simultaneously therewith the yarn 3 will be raised by the action of the arm 69, thus raising the driving end of its take-up reel out of engagement with the driving member 35, the reel 30. then taking a position similar to that formerly occupied by reel 2, and will remain in this position until the yarn is again released for paying out.

When yarn 2 is unraveled until a selvedge edge of the fabric is reached where it is held by the yarn or yarns of other courses, the yarn will rise and lift the driving end of the spindle of its take-up reel out of engagement with its associated member 35, and simultaneously therewith another yarn, for example, yarn I, will be released, and its take-up reel will be returned to a position of driving engagement with its associated member 35 by the action of its biasing spring. This cycle of operation of the take-up reels is repeated as often as the series of yarns is interposed throughout the fabric, and in this manner the machine automatically and intermittently actuates the take-up devices to unravel the yarns in inverse order to that in which the yarns were laid in the successive courses of the fabric during the knitting thereof.

Preferably, and as shown, the yarns I, 2, and 3 will also be taken off in separate planes extending from the raveling end of the fabric and coursewise of the fabric, which planes generally correspond to the planes in which the various yarns were laid during the knitting of the fabric. This is arranged by causing the yarn guides 65 to be offset relative to each other and so positioned with respect to the support for the fabric strip, that the yarns are taken off in separate planes as show in Fig. 4. It will be understood, however, that since the fabric is limp and pliable, a certain amount of rippling of the raveling end takes place as the yarns are pulled off, which permits the yarns to pass each other, and therefore it is not essential that the yarn guides be disposed so as to take off the yarns in separate planes.

Figs. 9 to 14 illustrate the operation of the machine of Figs. 1 to 5 in unraveling and reclaim ing the yarns of the fabric of Fig. 6, the fabric courses in these figures corresponding to the courses in Fig. 6. In Fig. 9, it will be seen that course I, which is composed of yarn 3, is the next course to be unraveled (in the direction of the arrow below the course), at which time the take-up reel 3a is in frictional driving engagement with its driving wheel 35, take-up reels Ia and 2a being held out of driving engagement at this time. In Fig. 10, course II is the next course to be unraveled and at this time the take-up reel 20, is in engagement with its driving member 35, while take-up reels Ia and 3a are held out of driving engagement. After course II is unraveled, and as shown in Fig. 11, course III, which is composed of yarn I, is unraveled, at which time take-up reel Ia, is in engagement with its driving member 35, reels 2a and 3a remaining inactive at this time. In Figs. 12, 13, and 14, the operations of Figs. 9 to 11 are repeated; course IV, composed of yarn 3, being unraveled from right to left; course V, composed of yarn 2, being unraveled from left to right; and course VI, composed of yarn I, being unraveled from right to left.

Fig. 15 diagrammatically illustrates the operation of the machine of Figs. 1 to 5 in unraveling and reclaiming the yarns of split-seam fabric in which an insert, shown in the figure as composed of yarn 2, is connected to the adjoining body portions of the fabric, formed respectively from yarns I and 3, by split-seam connections S, S. In the fabric illustrated the seams are of the well known open-split type extending over two wales of the fabric. As shown, the yarn I is held at the point m by yarn 2 of the insert, at which time its associated take-up reel Ia is maintained out of driving engagement with its driving wheel 35. Yarn I will be so held until yarn 2 of the insert is unraveled in course I until it reaches the point m where it will unlock yarn i, at which time take-up reel Ia will be returned to driving engagement with wheel 35, and will unravel yarn I in courses III and IV. Body yarn 3 is shown as held at point n by its interengagement with yarn 2, and its take-up reel 3a is held out of driving engagement; when yarn 2 has been unraveled until it reaches the point 12 in course III it will release yarn 3, at which time take-up reel 3a will again be returned to driving engagement with its friction wheel 35, and will unravel yarn 3 in courses IV and V. In similar manner, if yarn 2 is held at either seam S, S by yarns I and 3, take-up reel 212 will be caused to move out of driving engagement with its member 35 until the yarn I or 3, as the case may be, has been unraveled to a point in the fabric where yarn 2 will be released. It will be noted that the body yarns I and 3 are not held at the selvedge edges of the fabric, but are held at the split-seams S, S, and that upon release of any of the yarns it will unravel for two courses before it is again held by another of the yarns at points corresponding to points m and n. The foregoing cycle is repeated throughout the remaining courses of the fabric until all the yarn has been reclaimed.

Fig. 16 diagrammatically illustrates the operation of the machine of Figs. 1 to 5 in unraveling and reclaiming the yarns of reinforced or plated fabrics. As shown, the plating or reinforcing yarns I and 3 are held, by their engagement with body yarn 2, at the opposite selvedge edges of the fabric, at which time their respective takeup reels Ia and 3a are held out of driving engagement with members 35. When the body yarn 2 in courses I and II is unraveled until it reaches a point r in the fabric, yarn 3 will be released and its take-up reel 311 will return into driving engagement with wheel 35. When yarn 2 has been unraveled in course III until it reaches the point s, yarn I will be released and its take-up reel Ia will return into driving engagement with its associated driving member. This cycle of operation of the take-up reels is repeated throughout the remaining courses of the fabric.

In the diagrammatic views of Figs. 9 to 16, the raveling ends of the fabrics are shown in close proximity to the take-up reels; in practice, however, and as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4, the fabrics are supported a substantial distance above the take-up reels to facilitate crossing or passing of the respective yarns without entanglement thereof during the reclaiming operation, and also to reduce folding or pulling in a coursewise direction of the fabric pieces, particularly at the selvedge edges.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 4, showing a simplified form of the invention in which the friction wheels 90 of the take-up reels remain at all times in contact with their driving members 9i, the coacting driving surfaces of each pair of wheels 90 and 9| having a coefficient of friction therebetween such that when the various yarns are held by another yarn or yarns in the manner hereinbefore described, there will be slippage of the coasting surfaces of the driving and driven members sufficient to stop rotation of the take-up reels without breaking or unduly stretching the yarns, thus periodically interrupting the winding of the take-up reels, the driving connection being automatically reestablished when the yarns are released again to permit paying out or unraveling thereof. In this arrangement, the bearings 52 in bracket 38a comprise slots 92a in which the driving ends of the spindles 31a are held against lateral displacement, although, as in the modification illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, there is a slight clearance between the driving end of each spindle and the bottom of its bearing to insure that the driven wheel 90 will bear on its associated driving member 9| in driving engagement therewith. In Fig. the yarns l and 2 are assumed to be held and prevented from paying out by other yarns of the fabric strip F and yarn 3 is being unraveled, at which time take-up reel 3a is being rotated in the direction of the arrow by its coacting driving member 94, while reels la and 2a are held stationary by their yarns, the friction wheels 90 of these reels slipping on the surfaces of their coacting driving wheels 9|.

The coacting driving and driven wheels 90 and 9| may be made of various materials which will give the proper coefficient of friction therebetween to cause the same to operate in the manner stated; for example, the driving wheels 9| may be made of iron with relatively smooth driving surfaces 91a and the coacting driven wheels 99 may be made of hard wood, leather, or other suitable material. The driven wheels may be weighted by embedding therein lead or other heavy substance to give sufiicient weight thereto. The dimensions of the respective wheels are determined by the desired driving and slipping action and the relative sizes thereof will vary dependent upon the size and weight of the spools. The spools should be of a weight and size such that a positive driving connection will be obtained when there is little or no yarn on the spools, and which will permit the necessary slippage of each take-up reel when the reel has thereon any amount of yarn upto its capacity, so that the weight of the reel plus that of the yarn will not prevent the necessary slippage at the proper times between the driving and driven members.

The machine shown in Fig. 5 is adapted to unravel and reclaim the yarns from any of the multi-yarn fabrics hereinbefore referred to, and is applicable to the same fabrics from which the yarn may be reclaimed by the machine of Figs. 1 to 5.

The machine shown in each of the foregoing forms of the invention is particularly adapted for reclaiming the yarns from a multi-yarn fabric, but various features thereof are also well adapted for reclaiming yarn from fabrics composed of a single yarn, or from fabrics composed of two or more yarns laid together and from which the yarns may be unraveled in the manner of a single yarn fabric.

For brevity in the specification and claims, the expression multi-yarn knitted fabric in which recurrent courses of the fabric are knit from separate yarns recurrent therein is employed in a generic sense and defines any multi-yarn fabric in which the succeeding courses are respectively knit from separate yarns, or in which various courses have two or more yarns therein extending partially or entirely across the course, and. also includes any fabric having therein a plurality of yarns certain of which are held and prevented from paying out at one'or'more places in the fabric by another yarn or yarns of the fabric.

Of course, the novel yarn reclaiming method specifically described, by which I obtain the above results, may be changed and modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention herein disclosed and hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. The method of unraveling yarn from knitted fabric, which comprises driving a bobbin at one end, supporting the bobbin normally in horizontal driven position but rendering it capable of tilting movement aboutits other end for shifting the driven end out of association with the driving force, supporting the fabric, extending a yarn between the fabric and the bobbin, arranging the yarn to wind on the bobbin, directing a portion of the yarn from the bobbin and supporting said portion in position for receiving and supporting the bobbin in tilted condition through a Winding action of the bobbin under resistance to unraveling, and assisting said yarn portion in its support of the bobbin by additionally supporting the bobbin to a substantial extent sufiiciently less than necessary to entirely support the bobbin for providing eifective return of the bobbin to driven position when its support by the yarn is removed.

'2. The method of unraveling yarn from knitted fabric, which comprises driving a bobbin at one end, supporting the bobbin normally in hori zontal driven position but rendering it capable of tilting movement about its other end for shifting the driven. end out of association with the driving force, supporting the fabric, extending a yarn between the fabric and the bobbin, arranging the yarn to wind on the bobbin, directing a portion of the yarn from the bobbin and supporting said portion in position for receiving and supporting the bobbin in tilted condition through a winding action of the bobbin under resistance to unraveling, assisting said yarn portion in its support of the bobbin by additionally supporting the bobbin to a substantial extent suficiently less than necessary to entirely support the bobbin for providing effective return of the bobbin to driven position when its support by the yarn is removed, and positively forcing the bobbin to driven position when its support by the yarn is removed.

GUSTAV GASTRICH.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,061,253.

GUSTAV GASTRICH.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the drawings, Sheets 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, title of invention, for the words "MACHINE FOR" read METHOD OF; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and. sealed this 19th day of January, A. D. 195?.

Henry Van Arsdale (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

November 17, 1936. 

